From The Ashes
by Illusionary Reality
Summary: <html><head></head>Born from the depths of darkness and flames, he rises through pain, trials and tribulations. When danger looms in the form of foes like Amon and the Spirit of Darkness, will he choose to side with the Avatar and the saviors of mankind? Or will his hatred consume him to do nothing but sit back and laugh as he watches the world burn? Only time will tell. Rated M for A Good Reason.</html>
1. Chapter 1

**Notice: Please Read the Warnings in the Author's Note.**

**A/N: Yo People!**

***dodges thrown grenades***

**Whoa People! I ain't Bruno Mars here! I know what you're all thinking "IR, you haven't updated your Fairy Tail fic Dark Apocalypse Mage, and you're here with ANOTHER Crossover?"**

**Yep. I know. Sadly, my mind writes what it wants. Blame Nickelodeon who - P.S. by the way owns all rights to Legend of Korra. - caused it.**

**I was an avid fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender, and watched it before I even knew what anime was! I always wanted to write fanfiction about it, but never managed to find the time.**

**I thought Legend of Korra would pale in comparison, and never bothered watching it.**

**Until Four Days Ago.**

**Four Days. That's all the time it took me to blaze through all three seasons plus the new Book Four episode one. And I freaking Loved it.**

**With a burst of inspiration, and a few free late-night hours, and this story came to be.**

**I was inspired by Engineer4Ever's fic "The Tides Change Once More", and was disappointed when I realized there were so few fics of good quality in this Crossover Genre, and took to writing my own, just to inspire others to write more fics here.**

**Someone noted to me saying that my fics aren't really dark as I advertise them. I took it as a challenge and this work is dedicated to that fact.**

**I'm also trying a different writing style, so no single Prologue chapter, but rather an introductory arc of three chapters.**

**However, here comes the warning:**

**WARNING!**

**This Fiction may contain scenes of torture, subtexts of sexual assault and abuse, sexual contents and dark themes. Reader Discretion is advised.**

**You have been WARNED!**

**This work _will _be darker than _The Devil's Dark Knight_ and _Dark Apocalypse Mage - Naruto_ put _together_. Whether I lighten it up eventually is up for debate.**

**Now, that was a long Author's Note, and I hate long Author's Notes so let me not waste any more words.**

**Enjoy~**

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><p><strong>Illusionary Studios presents...<strong>

**Written and Edited by Author Illusionary Reality...**

**(Naruto is Owned my Masashi Kishimoto and The Legend of Korra by Nickelodeon and its creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino)**

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><p><em><strong>From ~ The ~ Ashes<strong>  
><em>

_"Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars."  
>― Khalil Gibran<em>

* * *

><p>Republic City.<p>

It was a city of diverse cultures and interests, a place where people from all the nations in the world can come together under one banner.

This was brought to fruition by the hardwork and dedication Avatar Aang and the Infamous Fire Lord Zuko.

A bustling Metropolis which was filled with the latest technology, all the food and varieties you could find in the market, parks and monuments as a tribute to the great "Team Avatar" that had ended the dreaded hundred year war that had plagued the lands.

Children could be seen playing in the parks – as it was summer, the grass was green, lush and fertile wit life. Birds of various types and kinds soared through the open skies in glee.

The honks of busy cars passing by on roads were an everyday occurrence, the Newly Instated Metalbending Police Force patrolled through the air and on land with the help of their airships and metal cords in which they utilized their metalbending abilities to swing from place to place like heroes to some, and barbaric cavemen to others.

**The city would appear to be a perfect utopia, a place of peace and tranquility.**

Safe for just one problem.

The city was _not _perfect. It was far, far from being anything close to a utopia.

The dark nights of the city looked beautiful with the illuminating lights, the beauty which drew tourists and romantics from their homes, however, it was a well set trap by the endless gangs, clubs and Triads who committed atrocious crimes and activities to unsuspecting prey.

Crime in this city was a frequent occurrence. The crime rates may have been curbed by the metalbending police force but not even they could do everything.

Theft was as common as breathing in air, robberies, stick-ups, extortion for protection money and the likes where all part of the integral system.

Though several had argued that the reason for these where the high rates of poverty which seemed to be skyrocketing, and the sheer level of Tribalism and Nepotism, cases such as bender feuds and national differences.

Then there were the bender vs. non-bender superiority issues. People believed that since they could shoot out giant balls of fire from their palms, they were more superior than people who had no such ability.

All in all, Republic City was a train wreck just waiting to happen.

Fortunately, all these would be several years into the future, in which the issues would have been strained to unbelievable heights.

And as for now though? Six years after the death of Avatar Aang?

Well…

"Get back here you mangy thief!" a burly shopkeeper yelled at the top of his lungs, his face red in anger.

Two metalbending officers nearby glanced into the direction of the sound, nodding to each other, they blew their whistles loudly and gave to the chase.

And As for the thief in question?

He dashed through the streets of the 'Elite' side of the city with a warm loaf of bread in hand, which he abruptly took a huge bite out of before pocketing the rest.

The thief was cloaked in a torn and ragged black cloth, which at some point in time had been a bedspread, but was now completely unidentifiable as such. The thief's sandals were dirty and old, and all other features where completely hidden by the black cloth which doubled as a hooded cloak.

A distinctive moan of delight could be heard from the figure as he swallowed part of the bread which he had hastily shoved into his mouth.

Pocketing the rest for later, he abruptly swerved to the left on sheer instinct, without losing any of his momentum, he had dodged a metal cable which firmly implanted itself into the behind him.

The officer who had sent the cable used it as a form of slingshot to send himself flying straight towards the back of the retreating thief.

The hooded thief smirked underneath, before dashing to the side at the last second.

The Police officer stumbled and landed awkwardly, intending to grab the hooded figure as he landed, but was far too slow.

The figure dodged the extended hand, slid into the man's guard, deftly swiped his hands through the man's pockets, swiping a wallet and a pair of handcuffs, before dashing away.

Another police officer appeared in front of him.

"Stop now or I will use lethal force!"

The thief blatantly ignored him.

With the rush of air as his companion as he sped towards the man at speeds most humans his age could never achieve, a fanged grin on his face, and the roar of a challenge daring him to do his worst.

The metalbending officer shot two cables at the thief, intending obviously to use them as weapons.

Though, things never quite work out the way you plan them.

In a display of inhumane agility, the thief veered off to the side at the last second, dodging the first, and then abruptly dropped on his knees, proceeding to slide on them due to the velocity he was running at.

He had barely dodged the second cable with his slide, the dangerous material sending the hood of his outfit flying as it slashed at several stray hairs.

The Metalbending officer had his eyes wide with shock.

The thief, couldn't have been a boy older than the age of seven, his face was dirty and caked with mud, his cobalt blue eyes held a dull, slightly lifeless look to them, but the most distinguishing features were his hair.

Excellent sun-kissed blonde hair that was spiky as could be, it also had slight strands of rain hair entwined in the mix, and if not for the dirt and dried mud and grime on it, the red strands would have made it look like the color of fire.

The officer was also able to instantly realize who the thief was.

His slight second of shock and hesitation was all the blonde menace needed though.

The young boy grabbed the outstretched cable, allowing his lithe form and weight to get dragged forward by it at amazing speeds, doubling his previous sprint.

When he was close enough, he released the object, propelling himself flying towards the man. He smashed his sandaled foot into the officer's befuddled face, hearing the slightly disconcerting sound of a shattering cartilage.

Using the man's face as an impromptu springboard, the young seven year old leapt into the air, spun around in his decent, and then dove straight into an open window of one of the many buildings in the street.

The first officer moved towards the second who was cradling his bleeding nose, and letting out a spring of expletives from his now distorted voice.

"I suppose it's _that _thief eh?" the first stated.

His colleague didn't deem him with a response, not that he needed one though.

From the sheer speed at which the thief was running, alongside his unnatural reflexes, it could only have been one person.

_The Phantom Thief of Republic City._

* * *

><p>The first thing the thief did as he landed in the room from the open window was take a swift look of his whereabouts and surroundings.<p>

He knew he didn't have much time since more cops would swarm the area, and it would be best to make tracks before they got there.

His name was Naruto, he had no idea as to what his last name was.

Ever since he had grown up, he had realized that he had an amazing talent, while it may not have been shooting fireballs from his hands or making rocks move about with his mind, it was impressive nonetheless.

He had a near-perfect memory, and an analytical mind to go with it.

Sounds, voices, images, pictures, tastes, he could recall them all with ease. He had been able to notice facial expressions and body languages, minute details and other random data was always at the tip of his fingers.

However, he was seven years old, and had no idea how valuable his ability was, that, and the fact that he hadn't even scratched the surface of its uses.

Regardless, that was a tale for another time.

As Naruto glanced around the room, he noted it to be someone's bedroom, with a bed, a table, and various clothes and items flitted around.

His distinct ears picked up the sound of running water, and immediately realized that the owner was in the showers.

He wasted no time.

He pilfered the jewelry he could find on the table, hiding them into one of the extra-large pouches hidden in his cloak, he found several few notes of yen, in the drawer, before searching the wardrobe.

'What is this supposed to be…?' he wondered to himself as he picked up a form of dressing item with two large cushions in front, and then a string at the back.

Using the reading skills he had, he noted what was written on it "D-cup sizes… what's a D-cup?" shaking his head to the side, he threw away the useless item.

He sharply left the bedroom and moved into the kitchen area, grinning when he spotted one of those new fancy refrigerator things.

He opened it up, and enjoyed the blast of chilled air that was sent straight into his face.

'Jackpot…'. He grinned.

* * *

><p>It had taken a few hours, but Naruto was thoroughly satisfied by the time he had reached his hangout, and home.<p>

Deep underneath the sewer system of Republic City, away from all the flowing sewage, lay a hideout one would never expect to find.

A scandalous poster of scantily dressed women lay on the wall in the sewer, and beneath the poster, was a large hole, small enough for only a child or a contortionist to fit through.

Behind that hole, was Naruto's 'home'.

The area itself was only as large as most apartment living rooms, and had cleared debris and junk materials to the side.

A dusty old couch sat to the eastern side, with several worn pillows and two blankets on it. Which served as a bed and a quarters for sleeping.

A wooden three legged table which was balanced with the aid of rocks stood to northern side, with it being filled with two empty bowls and plates, a matchbox, a toothbrush and toothpaste that was probably way passed its expiration date and most importantly, a very large pitcher of drinkable water.

Yes, simply 'drinkable' though, this was because whether or not the water was clean was completely up for debate.

A broken white fridge stood to the side, with an unlit lantern on top, it was one of the older models which had been trashed because of the faults, had been used as a container for whatever food Naruto had found or "liberated" as he tried to get further use of his limited vocabulary.

Needless to say, it was empty at the current moment.

Speaking of vocabulary, several books where lined up next to the three legged table, ranging from dictionaries to encyclopedias to even thesauruses.

Though it was mostly filled with storybooks, fictional tales, and then history books of the great war. And then next to it were scrolls all arranged neatly in a pile. They, along with nearly everything else he owned, had been 'repossessed'.

Naruto let out a sigh as he squeezed through the hole into his 'home' with ease. His malnourished and skinny body making it an easy task, of course it was a different story for the haul he was forcing through.

Needless to say, the hole wasn't the only entrance to his home – he would have never been able to get the things he had in there otherwise – but however, due to some unfortunate circumstances – which was a duel between two drunk Earthbenders – the other entrance had been sealed.

Naruto was particularly happy today – why shouldn't he be? – the haul had been excellent, even though the jewelry he had stolen from the apartment turned out to be nothing but cheap fakes, the food he had stolen was quite real.

For the first time in a long while, Naruto had been able to enjoy a meal of a slice of bread, a piece of semi-cooked meat, and a can of juice – yes, real juice! – as it was one of the best days he could remember in his seven years.

Still though, why did he feel as though something terribly wrong was going to happen?

Naruto yawned and shook his head, stripping out of his tattered clothes for the main time – he hadn't found a way to wash them yet – and then slid unto the lumpy foam.

Hopefully, he would find out why he felt so uneasy tomorrow.

…

…

Or he'd find out much earlier than he intended.

Several hours had passed and Naruto realized that the unease was getting to him, and he wouldn't be sleeping so soon anytime that night.

The monotonous silence which was usually broken with the sound of crickets chirping seemed to make things worse, whereas they usually lulled him to sleep.

He supposed he'd go out to enjoy all of what nighttime Republic City had to offer.

If only he had known what he'd find, the boy would have rather forced himself to sleep.

* * *

><p>Glancing to make sure no one was nearby; a manhole was slowly lifted up, before being slid across the ground.<p>

Climbing up with little difficulty, the hooded blonde slid the gate back in place silently, before glancing at his environments.

He'd come up from one of the usual manholes that was positioned at the end of a shady and dark corner.

For once he appreciated how his cloak perfectly blended him into the darkness, for all it was worth.

Moving silently on his feet, his mind considered options as to where he would go for the night, and the only thing he could come up with so far was to go and watch a Pro-Bending Tournament – A new sport which was rapidly getting popular in the city.

A proverbial light-bulb went off in his head as he thought of heading there.

What did popular places have in abundance?

_Crowds._

What did crowds have in abundance?

Simple, they were always easy and simple targets for one thing.

_Money._

Gears spun in his mind as he thought of finally being able to pilfer enough pockets to acquire the money he needed for one thing.

A real home, an actual house with a roof over his head.

With fire in his eyes that could not be quenched, and motivation driving him forward, the blonde scaled the building he was facing with one goal in mind.

Get to the Arena.

Landing at the top of the building, he couldn't help but smirk as his perfect vision spotted the Pro-Bending Arena several miles away, in all its glory.

Naruto ran.

He tore through the air at high speeds, his body cutting the resistance of the wind as nearby buildings and objects became a blur in his peripheral vision.

He skipped from roof top to rooftop, dodging obstacles in his way with athlete-level dexterity. He free ran the distance, not even realizing to himself when he had started sprinting on wires and other ropes as his mind had hyper-focused on his goal.

When he ran out of buildings, he started using wires, sprinting on electric cables and the likes, he moved like a ghostly apparition in the night, unknowingly giving reason as the why he had earned his nickname.

_The Phantom Thief._

Naruto often wondered why he could move so fast, as far as he knew, he couldn't bend any elements nor did he have any special powers, other than the energy he felt constantly flowing in him.

It had always baffled people when they noticed or realized how far and how fast he could run with little to no difficulty, and his insane level of dexterity and flexibility which had most people believe he was some kind of contortionist.

He didn't even know which nation he was from – he had been found on an orphanage doorstep with nothing but his name on him – and as such had little clues as to his parentage or his past.

Regardless, it made him wonder, his seven-year old curiosity was piqued as to how he was so fast and flexible, and how his reflexes sometimes reacted on their own, faster than his mind could follow, as though he could expect an attack miles before it had even reached him.

He disregarded the thoughts for the moment, his mind re-hyper-focusing as his destination was in plain sight.

It was due to this lapse in focus, he didn't notice that someone had connected a metalbending cable to the one he was running on.

The force and additional impact made him lose his footing, the cable sending him flying through the air in a manner as to which he could not right himself.

On the bright side, he was directly in front of the Pro-bending Arena.

On the dark side, he was going to crash.

Such, was the life of a boy called Naruto.

* * *

><p>Hiroshi Sato was a strong man, strong in his wills, strong in his motives, strong in his beliefs.<p>

Very few things ever wavered his ideals, or could confuse the genius CEO of Future Industries.

With a loving wife and amazing daughter, he was a happy and satisfied man.

And as of tonight, he was a somewhat amused man.

He had stepped out of his car, the chauffeur having opened the door for him, wrapped his hands around his wife, and had their little daughter in front of them as they were to enjoy the night's pro-bending match.

Unfortunately, he was met by one of his business contractors, who had been trying to get him to sign over a large portion of future industries for a hefty price.

He had disagreed of course several times in the past, but the man kept insisting.

He knew, he just knew that the Firebender – that is the man, - was about to issue a threat, until an unprecedented event occurred.

As black as the night sky, an object barreled forward with an impressive amount of speed and momentum, crashing behind the man with the force of a Satomobile.

The man was slammed forward by the force, his face slamming and embedding itself deep into the concrete floor.

Hiroshi would have been deeply impressed if he was able to stay conscious after that.

The hood fell from the figure, revealing a little boy, who by the looks of things seemed confused by the exchange.

Judging from his appearance and clothing, Hiroshi could tell that he was poor, and most likely orphaned.

His wife had spoken a few words to him, and he gave her a stare.

Hiroshi nearly flinched from his gaze.

Those eyes, those soulless blue orbs, they were the look one obtained when he felt that there was no reason to live. The hollow gaze seemed to have also stunned his wife into silence, shocked that a little child could have such eyes.

They were eyes which had seen and endured pain, suffering, they had seen the worst and it had left scars on their soul.

His eyes, where a void, an empty hole of nothingness in which hundreds would get lost trying to discover its depths.

They were the abyss.

He saw everything, but understood nothing.

Hiroshi had never seen eyes like those on anyone before, and deep, deep down...

They scared him.

His horror turned to shock when two police officers arrived on the scene, and without hesitation set to attack the boy.

Before Hiroshi could yell out a warning, or to tell them to stop, he had witnessed an act from a child that would leave him stunned for years to come.

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><p>Naruto would never understand grown-ups. Honestly, he didn't think he even wanted to.<p>

Thankfully, his landing had been relatively safe, he felt that he had crashed into something, but didn't pay much attention to whatever it was, as it had been an excellent cushion.

He frowned when he felt his hood fall off though.

"Hi there little one."

A voice?

Naruto turned up to glance at the sound, he noted the beautiful woman who had spoken, with her dark hair, and bright eyes she was one of the most beautiful people he had ever seen.

He simply tilted his head as he gazed at her.

She couldn't have been talking to him, could she?

No one had talked to him or held a conversation with him for nearly eight months now.

Other than the merchant as to which he sold his loot to, he had assumed that he was invisible to everyone, that is, everyone except those he stole from and those that tried to stop/catch him.

He noted that her eyes seemed a bit watery now as she gazed at him, and both she and the glasses wearing man beside her seemed shocked and surprised at something.

Why were they staring at him?

His gaze sharpened as he noted how the man's hands seemed to be a bit shakier, and his body was tenser, not to mention the look on his face.

Were they afraid of him?

The look on the man's face resembled those he had seen from people who believed they had a reason to be wary or careful, cautious or ready to flee.

_Fear. _His mind supplied. The emotion which was called fear, an instinct in all living things, the reason to be afraid however, was different under circumstances.

So why was the man afraid?

Naruto suddenly stood rigid as he felt his instincts shoot through the proverbial roof.

Two people landed to both sides of him, Naruto noted that they wore the same outfits as those who kept trying to catch him.

In the blink of an eye, two cables where shot towards him.

Something stirred deep within, his stomach felt as though someone had lit a fire inside.

All he wanted to do was watch a match! He wasn't even taking anything here!

Okay, he had slipped the piece of paper the person he had landed on was holding into his pockets, - as well as subtly pilfered his pockets and his watch – but no one had spotted him this time around!

So why were they attacking him?

In his anger, Naruto leaned back, his knees bent the two cables passed by his nose.

Time seemed to have slowed down significantly for him, as though everything was moving in slow motion.

With a single movement of his hands, he caught the two outstretched cables, gritting his teeth as he felt the friction burn his hand.

In a blur, he had tied them together in a perfect bow.

When the two officers retracted their cables, they were both in for a surprise as they sprung off their feet, heading towards the cloaked blonde.

As though in slow motion, said blonde jumped into the air at the last second, causing the two officers to smash face first into each other, breaking their noses and jaws in the process.

It didn't end there though, as the boy came down from his jump at that exact moment, smashing his feet into the heads of the officers, driving their faces into the cemented ground alongside the first man.

They were out cold before their faces had touched the concrete.

Satisfied with his work, the blonde glanced at the couple who were staring at him like a fish out of water.

He gave them a simple two fingered salute, before sprinting away from the scene as fast as he could, leaving a trail of dust in his wake.

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><p>Hiroshi could only stare in amazement, as a child, probably the same age as his own Asami, took down three grown men with relative ease.<p>

The first may have been accidental, but there was no denying his motives and intentions when he had effectively knocked out the two police officers that were attacking him.

"Wow daddy! Who was that? That was amazing!" Hiroshi was snapped out of his shock by the sound of his daughter, who had hidden behind her mother from the start, and had more than likely seen everything that had happened.

He chuckled slightly, the Pro-Bending tournament having almost been forgotten in lights of recent events.

So much for a simple night out with the family.

* * *

><p>It hadn't taken long for Naruto to escape – in an environment like this, there were numerous places to hide.<p>

Without long, the young thief found himself wandering down the halls of the Contestant dressing rooms.

Due to the fact that people where more than likely still looking for him, he made sure to stay out of sight, as he wanted to simply watch the show in piece, and pilfer pockets simultaneously.

It wouldn't do to pick their pockets before the show started, as that was a surefire way to draw attention to his deeds – but instead needed to do so after the show had ended, and when everyone was crowding to leave.

Without much difficulty, he secured himself a position high above the rafters, making sure to stay hidden in the shadows to avoid detection.

He hadn't needed to wait long before he noticed how the seats were filled, and the show most probably sold out.

Without further delay, the matches started.

He never really paid attention to the ludicrous announcer; instead his gaze was fixed on the benders as his mind memorized every movement, every stance, every technique, every shot of fire or whip of water, and every last dodge and parries that was made.

Despite not having bending abilities himself, he had realized that the stances for bending could be used without the actual manipulation of the elements, and instead used as hand to hand fighting skills.

His eyes did note some other things though, like how he spotted one of the more dangerous of those uniformed guys who kept trying to capture him.

She possessed black hair and a scar on her face, with a scowl that was extremely intimidating. She had been the only one who had gotten extremely close to catching him on one occasion. Rather, she had actually cuffed him and had him captured, but he had escaped before she could take him down to wherever she had intended.

He remembered that she possessed a technique which allowed her to sense objects moving on the earth, and as such he put it in his mind to steer clear from the deadly woman.

Once he noted that the final match was coming to a close, the agile thief sprang into action.

Slipping away from the rafters to the stands, he tiptoed behind one of the police officers, making sure to pick the man's pockets as he did so, finding several Yuans and once again, another handcuff.

He waited with a baited breath as the crowds began filing out, his heartbeat nearly tripled with excitement, anticipation, and the fear of being caught.

Without even realizing it, a grin stretched itself on his face as he prepared his mind and fortitude for the task he was about to take.

The first sounds of feet which wore boots hit his ears, and the thief moved into action.

With his slender form and malnourished body, he slid between the adults and grownups with ease, some not even noticing his presence at all as he swerved and dodged each passing person in the crowd.

A grin stretched on his hooded face, as his hands became virtual blurs with his movements, he picked any and everything, mostly going for watches, necklaces, wallets, and most importantly items of value.

As he brushed by each person without them giving him a second glance, his hands deftly swept into their pockets, took out its contents, and placed them in his extra-large pockets of his cloak.

A thrill unlike no other rushed down his spine as he stole like a hyperactive kleptomaniac, the thrill, dangers, and chances of getting caught seemed to light up a fire in him, giving him an urge he had never felt before.

However, it seemed that he had been quite overenthusiastic.

"My watch! It's gone!"

"What? Wait! My wallet! It's been taken!"

"My earrings! My jewelry! Where are they?"

"Holy Moon Spirit! I've been robbed!"

Similar shouts and complains filled the departing crowd as everyone was suddenly wary, and as most realized that several of the items in their possession had been taken.

Unknowingly, this made things much easier than before.

Due to the fact that there were so many things stolen in rapid succession, even those who Naruto hadn't taken anything from became paranoid as they patted their pockets to ensure that they still possessed their items.

By doing so, they identified the pockets as to which contained their valuables, making it easier for the boy to pilfer.

Some of the items Naruto gained didn't make sense though, like the sunglasses – which were not needed in the night – or the bandanna and masks – he had no idea what people would need those for.

Regardless, they served use to the blonde in some way.

He put on the bandanna, tying it firmly around his face, covering his nose and leaving only his eyes which were hidden by his hood.

The police officers sprang into action, as they tried to find the cause of the mayhem, and the thief, Naruto quickly took this as his chance to leave.

Just when he was steps away from the door to the contestants changing area, his luck changed.

"Look! Over there! IT'S HIM! The PHANTOM THIEF!"

A particularly large yell cut across the distraught crowd, and then in one moment, hundreds of eyes turned to his direction.

What they saw was worthy of his title.

Cloaked entirely in black torn rags from head to toe, he resembled something of a reaper, a grim reaper to be precise, his cloak billowed from a sudden gust of wind as he stood in a stance that was unknowingly intimidating.

Luckily, or unluckily for him – depending on the way you see it – the bandanna he had chosen had the image of a skulls teeth, which was painted to look like sharp fangs, and they seemed to glow.

With the hood over his head, obscuring his hair and eyes, he was extremely frightening.

He channeled some of the energy he could constantly feel inside of him to sharpen his vision, and unknowingly wrote his image into the minds of hundreds.

Underneath the hood, two bright white glows formed, piercing the gaze of the audience, and left some a shivering wreck.

In that one moment, everyone was convinced that the Legendary Phantom Thief was in fact, actually a dark spirit.

And then he left.

It took the police several minutes to snap out of their gaze and trance to give chase to the ghostly apparition, but then, the damage had been done.

"You know, it's only a few yuans."

"I can always buy more jewelry I suppose."

"I had needed to get rid of that old wallet anyway!"

The crowds murmurs changed to one of seeming nonchalance, as no one felt that being pickpocketed warranted reason enough to chase after something so nerve-racking.

In the end, it was their pride and properties, versus their instinct for survival.

The latter never really stood a chance.

* * *

><p>Naruto dashed through the building at his max speed, knowing that he didn't have long before he was chased or hunted down.<p>

Glancing at the well furbished hallways, he realized that he would need a getaway trick, and promptly. As he had spotted one of those Metalbending Airships outside and getting away on foot with those things on his tail would be a tall task – even for him.

Dashing into a room, he spotted what he was looking for with ease.

A window of opportunity! No pun intended.

Slowly lifting open the window, he sat on the edges, before grabbing the pipeline behind him.

All he needed was to slide down now, and find a place to hide and then he'd be home free–

Only to stumble as a muffled curse escaped his lips once he realized how slippery the window was.

He lost his footing, slipping forwards as his head smashed into the glass of the window.

He was sent into bliss, sweet unconsciousness as his body rolled and fell down the treacherous several foot fall.

He crashed into a crate, and then it snapped close and locked him within.

He wouldn't be waking up anytime soon.

* * *

><p>"So what did you think of the Phantom Thief?" a voice asked another as they approached a car.<p>

"Shit, I don't know, seems more like a spirit than a human." Another voice, lighter in tone replied as they.

"Hmm… wonder when the new avatar will show up? Can't afford to have a spirit of all things stealing all the good stuff and leaving us out of business eh?" a third voice added.

"Quiet all of you, forget about whatever happened tonight, the real fun is about to begin." The fourth voice stated, his command clear as day.

"Yes boss." The other three chorused.

"Now load up the stuff into the truck, we need to do it this night, before anyone else gets a wind of our plans." He stated briefly as he walked towards the car.

Underneath a night street lamp, his outfit was visible, a black suit with a white shirt within,, matching trousers and agile leather shoes. His most noticeable feature being his black and red striped fedora and the cane he held in his hands.

His name was Jaaku, and as of now, he was an elite commander of the Agni Kai Triads second only to the main boss himself, one of the most dangerous crime syndicates in Republic City, that consisted of a ragtag group of Firebenders.

He lit up a tobacco stick with his firebending, before putting it to his lips, and then exhaling the smoke out in a ring. He supervised his boys as they loaded up empty crates into the van they were going to use for their late night operation.

The man smirked as he thought of the riches that would follow from his endeavor, perhaps with a little luck and bribery, he'd become the new head of the Agni Kai triads.

Once he did that, he'd set to battle the other triads in the city and take their lands for himself. The current leader of the Agni Kai triads didn't believe that they could take on such and endeavor, but Kuo thought that the man was merely weak hearted and soft.

Soon, he'd have all of Republic City under his control, he'd be so powerful that he'd be able to other that bitch Lin Beifong to strip and spread her ass for him if he so decided, and take pleasure in some of the finest women and booze the city had to offer.

Ah, so were his delusions of grandeur offered to him by his trusty cigar.

However, it all weighed and came down to making sure that this operation went smoothly.

The trunk of the Van was closed as his goons in their monkey suits nodded, as they processed their plan.

"Alright, you've all been drilled on this. Expect to find some resistance though, but leave all the women to me – once I've had my fill whatever you do to them is none of my concern."

As expected, the men all wore lecherous grins on their faces.

"Now onwards, we have a job to do."

The van arrived at its destination a while after, with it being a delivery van, the gate guard had ushered them in with the excuse of it being a late night, and last minute delivery.

Then, they had sprung the trap.

The first of the Agni Kai triad members made the first move, shooting out a ball of fire from his fist that caught the gate guard by surprise, before the other three men all moved into action.

In the chaos, no one noticed a box which had rolled out of the van on its own, before smashing into several pieces.

* * *

><p>"Ugh… what hit me…?" Naruto shook his head as he tried to wave off the disorientation and nausea he was feeling, he had no idea what had happened. One minute, he was about to escape, and then the next, everything was blank.<p>

Shaking his head to clear the stars in his vision, he noted his environments rather quickly.

It was a large mansion of sorts, with several lights and designs on it. The architecture was excellent, the building was a type of home Naruto could only dream of possessing one day, yet he seemed drawn to it.

It did bring the question though, how in the world had he gotten here?

When nothing came to him, he decided it was best to leave before he was spotted.

That is, until his nose picked it up.

Burning. The Smell of burning, of fire and of ash, it lingered in the night air like an unwelcome visitor.

He quickly directed himself to the smell, and had to blanch when he found what was causing it.

A man, he seemed to have a uniform of a night guard of sorts, had several burns on his arms, chests, and legs. The sight of burnt flesh did not do anything for Naruto's stomach, but was thankful in the least when he noticed the man's chest heave up and down.

At least he was alive.

He glanced to the house, his eyes widening when he noticed that parts and bits of it were on fire.

_What… what is going on?_

He didn't have an answer for himself, however, his danger senses were ringing at an all time high, every muscle and fibre of his being was tensed, his mind alternating between fleeing the scene and pretending he had saw nothing, to charging in and trying to find the source of the problem.

The decision was made for him when he heard a large, terrified scream.

It may have been mentioned earlier, but let it be said again, that Naruto had a near-perfect memory.

And in such cases, he never forgets a voice.

The cloaked and masked child dashed forward with all the speed he could muster, he already had no reason to live.

Maybe, maybe he could spend his last moments protecting someone who did.

Never did he notice or think that he possessed the most morbid mind a seven year old could own.

* * *

><p>Jaaku was annoyed.<p>

No, scratch that, it was a grave understatement.

Jaaku was extremely frustrated.

He had ordered his boys to search different and multiple parts and places of the house, so that they could find what they needed quickly, while he had begun trashing the place, looking for anything of value.

In his anger at finding what he needed, he began to set fire to random items and objects.

He was sorely tempted to consider this whole attempt a failed mission, as perhaps the owners were not yet back as he had previously thought.

He couldn't even find any women! He thought someone as rich as this would have hired several maids to help around, but no, other than one butler, he had found no single sign of life.

His frustration was slowly turning to anger.

"Gasp!" he froze and swiftly turned around, giant ball of fire waiting in his hands as he prepared to shoot down whoever it was that had made that sharp intake of breath.

He spotted something in his peripheral vision, and grinned. Finally! "Come out, come out wherever you are… I just want to play."

He received no response as he moved slowly closer to the area where he saw the figure hiding.

"If you won't come to me… then I'll just have to get you!" he dashed forward and then pinned a figure to the ground.

On inspection, it wasn't exactly what he was expecting.

A little girl with black hair, who couldn't be older than six, in a pair of lemur-styled pajamas strained against his grasp, as she tried to get free.

"Tsk! A brat! I was hoping for a little more…" he stated, before doing a once over with his lecherous eyes.

He then shook his head, she was too young, they'd be no real satisfaction gained.

"Well then brat, tell me… where are your parents?"

He noticed as her eyes watered and she was close to tears, but the man didn't care. She was just an obstacle in his way.

Creating a ball of fire in his hands, he moved it extremely close to her face.

"Listen here kiddo, I don't have time for games… you are either useful, or you're not. And if your not of any use to me, then your life is nothing!" he barked in her face, watching as primal fear tore on her expression.

He enjoyed the fear she had, that fear always had ways to arouse him, to turn him on.

He frowned though, when he noticed her eyes widen as the fear was replaced with surprise, shock and hope.

He was annoyed at the sudden change, until he caught the reflection of something in her eyes.

Moving back at the last second, he avoided the large heavy bat that swung at the spot in the air where his head previously was.

_That was too close…_

The girl scrambled to her feet and hid behind the figure, the person which Kuo began to silently access.

"What's this? Finally come out to play?" he gave a dastardly laugh and watched in satisfaction as the woman was seemingly unnerved.

She was a tall, beautiful woman who probably looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties, she had the same black hair as the younger girl, though it was somewhat smoothed out. Her face was heart shaped, her lips furrowed into a snarl as her eyes where narrowed and sharpened at him.

He could feel the intensity of her gaze on him, as she channeled it through the metal bat she held with both hands, in front of her and facing him.

"So you must be Mrs. Sato… I'm afraid the tales about you are gravelly underestimated." He licked his lips as he shamelessly ogled at her body.

It seems he was right in his assumption that the Sato family had been asleep, as she wore a simple transparent nightgown that reached her ankles, and had an unbuttoned shirt on top.

He could partially see her breasts from the light which illuminated through her clothes, and the fact that she wore only a pair of tights underneath the gown.

Jaaku could feel his lust growing by the minute, and a bulge in his pants forming as he stared at the woman without shame.

"What do you want?" she asked with a steely voice, though he could hear the fear that was tinted underneath.

"Hmm… what do I want?" he placed his hand on his chin and pretended to think "Let's see… I want _everything_, but I'll settle for the millions of Yuans your husband has."

Her gaze never once left him, but she still addressed her daughter "Asami, quickly, leave, go get your father." She told her daughter gently, but the girl was terrified as she held on to her mother's clothes.

"Mom… I'm scared" she admitted freely.

"I know sweety, just go get your father and everything will be alright."

Asami glanced back to the man who had a ball of fire in his hands and a lascivious grin on his face "You heard your mother girl, now leave!"

The girl dashed out of the room as quickly as she could, doubling the tension in the area.

"Now that there are no more disturbances, there is one more thing I'd like…"

Asami's mother felt fear deep within as she dared ask "Which is?"

The man's grin threatened to stretch his face. "I'd like… your body!"

No more words needed to be said as the assailant rushed forward, dodging the woman's ill-timed swing with finesse. He placed his hand on the bat, using his firebending, he superheated the metal in seconds, causing the woman to scream as she let go of the object, and held her scalded hands.

Jaaku felt his primal urges skyrocket as the bulge in his pants was visible, he backhanded the woman to end her scream, taking delight as she crumbled to the floor.

He descended on her without remorse, grabbing her gown and tearing it to shreds with a harsh pull.

The woman tried to protect whatever was left of her dignity as tears began streaming down her eyes, the man laughed in glee.

"This is what I love! Cry! Beg! Plead! Do it! I love it when they resist!" insanity filled his eyes as he approached the woman separating her hands from her cleavage as he stated at her breasts.

"Yes! Just as I cried when my own mother defiled me! And as she cried as my drunken father beat her to death! Or as my sister resisted until he raped her without mercy as she eventually took her own life!" The man didn't even seem as though he was staring at her, but instead staring at someone else who had taken her place.

Just as Jaaku unhinged his belt, a large potted plant crashed on to the top of his head, disorienting him for several seconds.

"What..!" he glanced up to the stairs where the girl who he had presumed ran away stood, trying to throw another potted plant.

"You worthless brat! You dare!" A blast of enraged fire shot from his palms, shattering the staircase as the girl crashed beside her mother.

"Tsk! Before I have my way with you, I'm going to make you watch as your daughter dies for her stupidity."

Both the eyes of mother and child widened when Jaaku swirled his fingers into the air, generating a cracking sound as white lightning surged around his body.

"Die!" the attack streaked towards the little girl, whose eyes had widened in shock, that is, for several seconds.

Jaaku watched in near slow motion as her mother had jumped in the way, standing, with both her arms raised in front of her child.

Like magic, the lightning bolt crashed into the woman's exposed stomach, right below her breasts, as she let out a shriek of pain.

The attack faded, and the woman lay twitching on the ground, lightning traveling her body with every twitch.

"Shit!" Jaaku was more upset with the fact that he hadn't been able to have his way with the woman yet, and she seemed as though she would die soon.

Asami's childlike eyes widened in shock, and then the fear set in. She approached her mother, tears streaming on her face as she glanced at her wound.

The lightning had pierced through her, and at the same time heated up the wound.

Jaaku was getting more frustrated by the second as to how the entire situation had evolved into this massive clusterfuck.

"Tsk… I suppose the girl would do."

The mother of said girl heard his words and managed to strain out a warning to her only child "Asami… r-run…"

Unfortunately, she was unresponsive. Her mind had entered a state of shock as tears continued to stream her face.

As Jaaku moved towards the girl, he had to suddenly jump back as he yelled in pain as a knife swished through the air and left a shallow cut on his hand.

"Who threw-" whatever he had wanted to say died in his throat.

Walking through the flames as though they were nothing to it, a figure cloaked in the darkness stepped forward like a ghost.

The signature mask of a fanged skull's teeth stood in place, highlighted by the glow of the flames.

His hood obscured his face, but those eyes, two sharp blue glowing eyes gazed at him with frightening hate, hatred, disgust, repulsion, and a rage that could not be quelled.

In that one moment, he felt as though he had gazed into the eyes of the devil.

_And he had come for his soul._

* * *

><p><em><strong>From ~ The ~ Ashes<strong>  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And That's a Wrap for now... for those of you squeamish readers, be at ease... there won't be any actual vivid description of sexual assault in this fic. I'm not writing a bloody hentai afterall -_-'.**

**Anyways, Next Chapter will be shorter unfortunately, but will be much better written than this one.**

**Don't Forget to R&R!**

**P.S. And to those who have read Dark Apocalypse Mage - Naruto, please send me your 'quest' or 'mission' ideas for the main characters (in PM's only please). As the I haven't updated that one yet because I wrote down a mission on which the characters did, only to realize that the ages of the characters where _so _damn off that the main antagonists for those chapters shouldn't even be able to fight yet... sucks.**

**Don't send your ideas in the reviews please, as I feel reviews are to be respected as the reader's way of expressing thoughts on the author's work.**

**Anyways, **

**Ja Ne!**

**Illusionary Reality, out.**


	2. Ashes to Ashes

**A/N: Another chapter Done in time. Wanted to post this early so I can get my stuff primed for the Eclipse coming.**

**Blood Red Moon... So many Naruto and Avatar/Legend of Korra References there. XD**

**This is shorter than the previous one, but as straight to the point as possible.**

**Enjoy~**

* * *

><p><strong> ~x~x~x~x~<strong>

**_ From The Ashes_  
><strong>

**_~x~x~x~_**

* * *

><p><strong><em>"A bridge of silver wings stretches from the dead ashes of an unforgiving nightmare<br>to the jeweled vision of a life started anew."  
>― Aberjahni.<br>_**

* * *

><p><em>Two Years Ago…<em>

_Republic City__…_

"_Naruto-chan, have you finished the books I gave you?"_

"_Hai Sona-nee!" a four year old boy smiled and gave the most dazzling smile he had._

_The former caretaker of the orphanage merely giggled at the boy's enthusiasm, before slowly patting his hair. She was a beautiful young woman in her mid-twenties, she had brown hair which was let free behind her back, and excellent blue eyes, as was a noticeable trait of Water Tribe citizens._

"_That's good Naruto-kun, I'll keep my promise, you can have Ramen this night."_

"_Yay! Ramen!"_

_The woman simply giggled as she shook her head "Just this once Naruto-chan, you can't eat Ramen all the time, otherwise you'll never grow big and strong like you need to."_

"_But its Ramen~" he whined as he pouted his lips._

"_No buts Naru-chan, you do want to grow big and strong right?"_

"_Hai! I'll be the biggest and strongest person ever!"_

"_Oh, and what will you do once you're all grown up like me?" She had paused from the boiling water on the stove as she glanced at the boy who had suddenly become quiet._

"_I'll do my best to protect everyone Sona-nee!" the woman smiled as she moved closer to the five year old, patting his head as he gazed at her with childlike determination._

"_That's a nice dream Naru-chan,-"_

"_But most of all…" he continued as though he hadn't heard her, gazing into the eyes of the woman "I'll do my best to protect you Sona-neechan! No matter what!"_

_The woman was slightly taken aback by the declaration before she gave an amused grin "And why would you do that Naru-chan?"_

_He gazed at her, at a loss to why she would ask such a question "Because Sona-neechan is the nicest person ever! You helped me when I was living in a dumpster behind the ramen joint! You took me here and gave me everything even when I stole from you…" he muttered that part out silently, before shaking his head and continuing._

"_You've given me everything Sona-neechan, even when I did nothing but cause trouble for you…"_

_Silence filled the room, as the only sound that could be heard was that of the kettle's whistle._

"_That's why… that's why… I'll protect you no matter what! Even if it costs me my life, I'll do it! Because… because… I really love you Sona-neechan!"_

_The woman gaze became teary as she pulled him into a hug "Naruto… you're no longer alone… but you don't have to say you love me to make me happy…"_

_He defiantly escaped her grasp and placed his hands on her shoulders, gazing into her eyes with all the intensity a five year old could possess._

"_I'm not sayin' it to make you happy you dummy neechan!" he shook his head "I'm saying it cause I mean it! And one day when I'm big and strong, I'll prove it by making you my wife!"_

_Sona couldn't help but giggle slightly as she wiped the tears away from her eyes, the bold declaration from a five year old had both amused her and touched her._

"_But I'll be too old for you then Naruto, the age gap is quite a lot."_

_Cobalt blue eyes matched the fanged fox-like grin on the boy's face "I wouldn't care even if the gap was by a hundred years!" the woman's eyes twitched slightly._

"_I'll make you my wife one day! That's my word, and I never go down from it!"_

_With a thumbs up and laugh that would out do the Chesire Cat, he glanced at her and gave her two simple words that emphasized his words._

"_Believe it!"_

* * *

><p><em>Current Day...<em>

_Republic City..._

_Sato Residence…_

Silence.

The word had been personified in with the sudden appearance of a masked figure that strode through the burning rubble of the house with ease.

Thunder clouds gathered in the sky above, heavy booming and clapping of thunder followed closely.

Shock.

That word was filled and brought to life in the air where four figures lay.

The first was thrown in shock at the sight of the lightning bolt that had struck her mother.

The second lay in shock at the audacity of the man who had dared to touch her daughter, and even more reeled in once they had an unexpected savior.

The third, baffled by the constant pests and interruptions that had taken place, and the hooded figure that was haunted and appraised as a dark spirit.

The last, thrown in shock and the befuddling scene that lay before him, and then his surprise intensified once he identified one of the figures.

The boom of thunder added to the serene silence, however before it, a bolt of lightning, the hammer of the heavens, illuminated the night sky in a single flash.

The visage of everyone in the room became visible, just for a split second, as the lone Firebender in the room suddenly had reason to fear once he noticed the figure that stood in the flames.

"You…" a voice came from the cloaked person. It had an edge to it, the single syllable of that one word dripping in enough malice to fill the room.

In a nanosecond, another lightning bolt flashed through the sky.

And the full force of an unknown energy came crashing down on the grown man's shoulders, snapping him instantly out of the insane sexual lust and blood-lust that had taken control of him earlier..

He suddenly felt himself break out into a cold sweat, as though he was in the presence of a natural predator, shivers ran down his spine to relay to his brain the Goosebumps that traveled on his skin.

Another bang of thunder followed, the smell of burning wood and various materials wafted through the room, flames danced in the gusts of winds that followed, casting eerie shadows of the cloaked figure in the room.

The pressure doubled.

The Agni Kai Triad member suddenly found it much more difficult to breath, his instincts all but screaming at him to run, self-preservation was telling him that no amount of money was worth his life.

He let out an air of false bravado, trying to seem as nonchalant and as ignorant of the danger as possible.

He failed.

"Eh? W-well if it isn't the Phantom Thief? What does a spirit want from little ol' me eh?"

He sported two orange fireballs in his hand as he moved into a defensive stance, his fight or flight responses and signals in his brain finally settled on fight.

He was a known Serial Killer and serial rapist, he hadn't received such 'titles' as he called them, by being weak-willed or weak minded.

"I want…" the venom in his voice hadn't dropped by a single decibel, and if anything, it had doubled.

Silence and tension was eminent, broken only by a single strand of lightning and the boom of thunder that cut through the night sky like a hot knife through butter.

The clouds became heavier as they surrounded the city, their thick darkness obscuring the beautiful moonlight.

With a final crash of thunder…

"…your life."

…_the floodgates of the heavens were set loose._

Thousands of droplets of water falling as one served as the unspoken signal between the two, the cloaked figure dashing forward so fast that to untrained eyes, he had literally vanished and reappeared in front of the fire bender, his left hand pulled back for a debilitating punch.

Instinct and instinct alone saved Jaaku, his head snapping back at the last minute, the swing missing his face by mere millimeters.

The Firebender shot out a blast of hot flames from his hands, hoping to do some close range damage.

The agile figure was however much faster.

The cloaked attacker redirected the man's hands to the sky, forcing him to release his attack through the ceiling.

Following up, the figure barreled his fist into the man's stomach, taking in with glee as it sunk in with ease, the man coughing out slight blood and spittle from the damage as he folded in half like a bench.

The hit sent him staggering a few centimeters backwards, before the hooded figure followed it up.

A sandal-ed foot smashed into the side of the man's face, snapping his neck to the side as an imprint was left visible. Teeth, blood and spittle flew out this time around, and the man began seeing black spots in his vision.

'No... way… This… this… must really be a spirit! No way can a fucking human move that fast!'

Doubt and worry began to fill his mind as he hastily erected a large spinning shield of fire to protect him from further attacks.

The hooded figure barreled through the flames as though they were non-existent.

Swinging his head back, the veiled assailant prepared enough momentum and leverage, before smashing his head forward as fast as he could, his forehead breaking through the bone and cartilage of Jaaku's nose with little difficulty.

"FUCK! You piece of-" he never completed the statement, a hand barreled its way directly to his mouth in a perfect straight hook, smashing his lips against his teeth, and accidentally causing the man to bite down on his own tongue.

Jaaku was delirious now, he was getting beaten up like a worthless little boy, and it was beginning to peeve him.

Of course, his assailant moved like the bloody wind and didn't give him a second of reprieve.

It seemed that he was going to make good on the promise to end his life.

"Enuf!" of course he had tried to say 'enough' but with several loose teeth and bloody/swollen lips, it didn't come out as expected.

To create a second of reprieve, he erected a large dome of fire outwards in a single burst, successfully repelling his assailant for the first time that night.

What he saw made his blood boil.

The hood had flown off due to the attack, and revealed spiky golden and red hair that was caked with mud, dirt and grime.

Most importantly, it showed two cobalt blue eyes that stared at him with enough malice to freeze lava.

"A kid? A boody kid?!"

Rage filled within him as the shame of being attacked and nearly beaten to death by a child of all things, was over-riding his common sense.

"I'll kill you!" he charged after him, shooting fireball after fireball with reckless abandon, the blonde child had to keep moving and reacting to avoid being hit by the attack which were targeted at him in a wild frenzy.

Dodging a particularly hot fireball, the blonde slid on his knees, dipped his hands in his pockets to find what he was looking for, before sliding between the man's legs, snapping what he had grabbed on them as he pulled the larger man down.

Jaaku tripped forward, using his hands to cushion his fall, before he felt something trap his legs.

Glancing at them, he noticed that they had been handcuffed to each other.

"What in Agni…?" undeterred the man shot out a stream of fire from his feet, forcing the blonde to dodge once again lest his head be shot off by the blast.

'Now…!' the blonde thought as he pounced on the man, driving his knees into the man's chest as he delivered a punch that sent the man's head flying back.

Lightning flashed once more, as the two Satos watched in awe and horror of the brutality of the blonde boy. Kio was bleeding profusely from his mouth, his nose, his face was bruised heavily, and his breathing was labored heavily.

Yet, the blonde didn't stop.

He delivered another attack, his fist pounding against the man's face as he unleashed years of fury and pain.

"_Run Naruto! They're here!"_

"_Who are here?"_

The blonde smashed his bloodied fist into the man's face once more, the only sound in the room being that of his fists, and that of the rain which mourned for the loss of innocence.

_Naruto hid under the cupboard, watching as several men charged into the house and began ransacking and searching the place._

"_I told you, I've already paid all my dues!"_

_He watched as Sona was backhanded across the kitchen floor, the man standing above her with his fedora gave out a malicious sneer._

"_I'm the one who decides what's been paid, and no one else says otherwise."_

Naruto drew in a sharp intake of breath as he began laughing, insane, megalomaniacal, and senseless laughter.

He laughed each time his fist crashed into the man's face, ignoring how bloodied his hands were, he began to repeatedly head-butt the man who was most likely unconscious, laughing louder each time.

"_I told you… I don't have anything left… please… just leave…"_

"_You have something that I want…" the man with his pompous sneer and arrogant face ordered his two goons to each side of her, they held her down and pinned her to the ground._

"_No… please no… anything but that! NO!"_

Police sirens sung in the air around the building, the younger Sato having lost consciousness the not long after Naruto had appeared, her wounded and dying mother, cradling her body as tears rolled forth from her eyes, as she watched the insanity of the boy before her.

Naruto's laughter didn't stop, didn't end, as he smashed his fist endlessly and tirelessly at the man's face, his eyes glazed over, lost, deep, deep within the abyss.

"_Get away from her!" Naruto dashed forward from his hiding place, kicking, biting and screaming, doing his best to stop the assailants._

"_No Naruto! Stop!"_

_The strength of a five year old paled in comparison to the strength of three full grown men, and without much effort, he was captured in the men's grasps._

"_What's this? You've been keeping a brat hidden here all this while? And you've been paying the money for only one person all this time? How sad."_

_The man gazed into Naruto's blonde eyes with his gray orbs. And without respite, the blonde spat in his face._

_Wiping away the spit with a handkerchief, he glared darkly "It seems you'd both need a lesson. And since you can't compensate us monetarily, I'll have to take something else."_

"_Tie the boy to the chair, the metal one, let him watch and let's see how long before he breaks."_

"_NO!"_

Naruto's insane laughter didn't stop, but the speed at which he senselessly pounded at the man doubled, tripled, and he himself didn't realize one thing.

He didn't realize when the tears had started flooding down his eyes.

"_STOP IT! STOP HURTING HER! STOP IT!"_

_He didn't listen, the sound of sick groans of disgusting pleasure echoed in the room, and the sound of muffled screams and cries accompanied it._

_Naruto rocked the metal chair as hard as he could, forcing himself to try and break through the metal chains that bound him, but he had gotten nowhere, all he had done was knock himself down, his eyes fright with horror as he heard Sona scream._

"_PLEASE! KILL ME INSTEAD! JUST STOP IT!"_

_He couldn't take it anymore, he lost his lunch, throwing up his ramen on the floor, as he forced himself to look away._

_He couldn't, as the two goons that stood by the side roughly made him watch as they opened his eyes and kept his head in that direction._

_He could not describe it._

"_STOP IT!"_

Naruto slumped backwards, still laughing in delirium as the engulfing salty tears flowed into his mouth, as he ignored the saline taste, his mind and body having stopped responding to his commands for hours now.

"_Ah… that was the most fun I had in days" Jaaku stated sickly, before glancing to the shivering boy whose eyes where open, but blank as he stared straight into nothingness._

_Had it not been for the heaving and falling of his chest, he would have thought him dead._

"_Tsk… this was a bit messy. Boys, set fire to everything, leave nothing unburned. I want this house reduced to ashes."_

_He glanced to the boy who was blankly staring at him, creeping him out, and to the naked girl at the side._

"_Along with everything in it."_

_The three men had left, leaving a single mind-shattered boy and a tragic assault victim left in the room._

_The house was set ablaze, the roof collapsing, the foundation breaking, as the flames neared the two._

_Forcing whatever willpower he had left, the boy crawled with his chin, the chains still bounding him to the metal chair, he slammed his chin into the floor and used it to force himself closer, closer to her with every second._

_It had been a slow arduous process, but he succeeded._

_And then he wished he hadn't._

_Her bright blue orbs which were usually shining with glee, joy, happiness, or a teasing glint, where now empty and soulless._

"_Sona-nee! Sona-neechan! Answer me Sona-nee!"_

_An expression of recognition lit up in her eyes, before they glanced at him, finally being able to notice him._

"_Naruto… for what its worth… I'm sorry you were forced to watch all that… I never imagined this being how we'd go…"_

_He grit his teeth in anger and frustration "Stop saying that Sona-nee! You don't have to apologize! It wasn't your fault! I should be the one apologizing! We'll make it true together Sona-nee."_

_She smiled at him, but it was hollow, unlike her usual ones._

"_That's what I like about you Naruto, defiant to the very end." She chuckled, a mirthless empty chuckle._

"_Stop speaking as though you're going to die damnnit! We'll pull this through! All I need is for you to try and loosen these chains, then I'd carry you out! The door path is on fire so we'd have to take the window but I think-"_

"_Naruto…" she cut him off prematurely, before giving him a smile, one of her true smiles that always made his heart leap._

"_Thank you… for everything… and for loving, a lonely woman like me."_

_Dread welled up in his stomach._

"_Why are you saying such things Sona-nee, it isn't funny!"_

…

…

"_Sona-nee? Sona-nee answer me?"_

…

"_Nononononono! Sona-nee! It isn't funny! Sona-nee!"_

_He was answered by the pregnant silence of the burning house, debris fell from the roof, smoke had filled up his lungs as he coughed relentlessly._

"_SONA-NEECHAN!"_

_His last glance of the woman was her looking with her eyes closed, and a feature that would haunt Naruto for years to come._

_Despite all odds, the woman known as Sona, had died with a smile on her lips._

_The thick smoke had encompassed the building, the ceiling crashed, and then his vision had gone black._

Naruto glanced through the hole in the roof as the rain had ended, the clouds parted, and he enjoyed the stars position in the sky. His laughter had ended, his vengeance delivered, and a burden on his soul departed.

As the moon shone down on him, Naruto was finally able to relax, as he calmly cried himself to sleep, neither caring nor bothering about the several police officers and other people who stormed into the room.

For the first time in what felt like eons, Naruto smiled genuinely.

...And a huge part of what used to be his soul, had been moulded into something else entirely.

Something that would change the world as they knew it.

If only they had known... 

* * *

><p><strong>~x~x~x~x~<strong>

**_From The Ashes_  
><strong>

**_~x~x~x~_**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And that's a wrap folks! Off to prepare my one thousand and one cameras.**

**Don't forget to leave your thoughts, messages reviews.**

**And also, for fun, I left several "easter eggs" last chapter, - if you can call it that - which are references either to some popular shows, movies, or series you've heard or seen before.**

**Try to find them all for a special reward!**

**Anyways...**

**R&R...**

**Illusionary Reality, out. **


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